One-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section

ABSTRACT

A one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section includes a conic section and a detachable tube section. The conic section is axially protruding at a center of the cup lid and forming a rim at a top surface of the conic section. The detachable tube section is axially protruding from the rim of the conic section with a closed surface at a top thereof and an annular tear line at a bottom periphery thereof. The conic section and the tube section are formed in one-piece to ensure the cup lid is fully closed and sealed for practical use, and when the tube section is removed by manually tearing along the tear line, a through hole is formed at a top of the conic section so as to form a conic straw section for easily consuming the drink.

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/056,720 filed on Aug. 7, 2018.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a drink-through cup lid, particularly to one that is designed for drinks with toppings.

2. Description of the Related Art

When drinking beverages and drinks like coffee, juices, tea and milk, single-use long straws are commonly used. Referring to FIG. 1A, a long straw 61 is poked through a crossed opening 621 on a cup lid 62 to consume the contents inside a beverage cup 50. However, such long straws are single-use and made of unrecyclable and indecomposable plastics, causing serious outcomes to the environment. On the other hand, the crossed opening 621 on the cup lid 62 is not sealed; therefore there is also the problem of leakage.

In recent years, government agencies in many countries have discussed and proposed many projects for plastic products reduction. In Taiwan, the single-use plastic straw ban is scheduled to be in force in 2019 in fast food restaurants and department stores as the first stage. It is estimated that by 2030, plastic bags, disposable tableware, single-use plastic straws and single-use beverage cups for take out will be fully banned from use. Nonetheless, the conveniences and irreplaceability of straws still exist.

Hence, substitutes that are recyclable and eco-friendly such as paper straws and straws made of other materials are developed constantly. Still, there is the problem of weak structure with such straws. On the other hand, the straws have to be separately carried from the beverage cups and therefore it is common for the straws to be inadvertently fallen, forgotten or ignored.

Referring to FIG. 1B, Patent No. FR2868047 disclosed that the dispensing cap (1) has base (2) with inner surface (9) shaped to engage with neck of container, and a nozzle (3) with outlet (4) that is closed prior to use by break-off tip (5). The tip is joined to end of nozzle by a frangible zone (15) that extends inwards from edge of outlet aperture. The dispensing cap (1) has a base (2) with its inner surface (9) shaped to engage with the neck of a container, and a nozzle (3) with an outlet (4) that is closed prior to use by a break-off tip (5). The tip is joined to the end of the nozzle by a frangible zone (15) that extends inwards from the edge of the outlet aperture. The cap is made from a molded thermoplastic material, with the inner surface shape of the base in the form of a spiral thread on the inside of an assembly skirt (8) that has outer surface grooves (16) to facilitate fitting. The inside of the base also has an annular sealing lip (11) that fits against the inner surface of the container's neck. An independent claim is included for a process of manufacturing the dispensing cap.

The invention above mentioned relates to dispensing capsules, and in particular those used in cosmetics. However, the shape and proportion of this type of cap (1) are not suitable for beverage cup lids, especially beverages with larger particle contents, because the particle contents will block the outlet (4).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section, especially designed for drinks with toppings. The size ratio of the conic section and the tube section is optimized, so that the structural strength of the beverage cup cover is good, which meets the needs of ergonomics and human factor interface, and it is very convenient and user-friendly for consumers to drink beverages.

To achieve the objectives mentioned above, the drink-through cup lid designed for covering on beverage cups comprises a cup lid having a peripheral surface and a peripheral edge extending from an outer edge of said peripheral surface; wherein a conic section is formed and protruding axially at a center of the peripheral surface and has a bottom periphery connecting to the peripheral surface so as to form a first through hole inside the conic section, and a rim is formed by the conic section extending outwardly from the bottom periphery; the shape of the conic section from the rim to the peripheral surface is a downward concave curve; a detachable tube section extending axially from an inner periphery of said rim, the tube section is a cone with a narrow top and a wide bottom, and having a closed surface at a top of said tube section and a tear line surrounding a bottom edge of said tube section for detachment; wherein the diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50% the length of a diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the rim of the conic section is 15-25% the length of the diameter of the cup lid; a height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the tube section is 8-16% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, and a height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, and wherein the bottom diameter (D3) of the second through hole is greater than 8 mm, and the diameter (D4) of the tear line is greater than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section by 1 mm˜3 mm; whereby the tube section and the conic section are formed in one-piece to form a closed and sealed structure of the drink-through cup lid and when the tube section is torn along the tear line and detached from the tube section, a second through hole is formed at the top of the tube section, said second through hole connecting through the first through hole to form a conic straw section on the cup lid for drinking through.

Also, the tube section is multiple stepped cones.

Also, the left and right sides of the conic section present a symmetrical concave arc curve from top to bottom, first outward and then inward.

According to the structures disclosed, the tear line is a broken line; or a V-shape structure is also applicable for easy removing.

Furthermore, the conic section is shaped in a curve gradually extending wider from the rim to the peripheral surface of the cup lid.

The diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section can be 25-50 mm; the diameter of the rim can be 15-25 mm; and the height from the bottom periphery to the rim can be 25-40 mm.

And the diameter of the tube section can be 8-16 mm; the height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section can be 10-20 mm.

Furthermore, in another embodiment, the drink-through cup lid comprising: a cup lid having a peripheral surface and a peripheral edge extending from an outer edge of said peripheral surface, a conic section being formed to protrude axially at a center of the peripheral surface of said cup lid, said conic section defining a bottom periphery connecting to the peripheral surface of said cup lid to form a first through hole inside the conic section, and a rim formed by the conic section extending outwardly from the bottom periphery, said conic section flaring radially outward from the rim to the peripheral surface of the cup lid, the shape of the conic section from the rim to the peripheral surface is a downward concave curve; and a detachable tube section defining a conic shape, said tube section extending axially from an inner periphery of said rim, the tube section is a cone with a narrow top and a wide bottom, and having a closed surface at a top of said tube section and a tear line surrounding a bottom edge of said tube section for detachment, the tear line being a broken line; wherein the diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50% the length of a diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the rim of the conic section is 15-25% the length of the diameter of the cup lid; a height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the tube section is 8-16% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, and a height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, and wherein the bottom diameter (D3) of the second through hole is greater than 8 mm, and the diameter (D4) of the tear line is greater than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section by 1 mm˜3 mm. Wherein the tube section and the conic section are formed in one-piece to form a closed structure of the drink-through cup lid, and the tube section is detachable along the tear line from the tube section, a second through hole being thereby formed at the inner periphery of the conic section, said second through hole connecting through the first through hole to form a conic straw section on the cup lid for drinking through.

With structures disclosed above, the present invention has a conic straw structure formed on the drink-through cup lid to ingeniously integrate a single-use drink-through cup lid with a conic straw section for the purpose of easy carrying of the beverage cup it is placed on without leaking or spilling and preventing inadvertently missing of conventional long straws. Besides, the conic straw structure can also reduce consumption of conventional long straws and achieve an eco-friendly feature. The size ratio of the conic section and the tube section is optimized, so that the structural strength of the beverage cup cover is good, which meets the needs of ergonomics and human factor interface, and it is very convenient and user-friendly for consumers to drink beverage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a conventional cup lid;

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of a conventional cup lid of Patent No. FR2868047 (A1);

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention in a first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the present invention in a first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the present invention in a first embodiment;

FIG. 5A is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5B is a sectional view of the tube section in another embodiment;

FIG. 5C is a sectional view of the removal of the tube section;

FIG. 6A is a partially sectional view of the present invention in a first embodiment;

FIG. 6B is a schematic view illustrating the present invention being stackable in a first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup in a first embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup with a tube section being removed in a first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup with a conic straw section in a first embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a prospective view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a front sectional view of the second embodiment;

FIG. 14A is a zoom in sectional view of the FIG. 13;

FIG. 14B is a sectional view of the removal of the tube section of the second embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view illustrating the present invention being stackable in a second embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup in a second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup with a tube section being removed in a second embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a practical application view showing the present invention covering a beverage cup with a conic straw section in a second embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the second embodiment in practical application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

To further illustrate the features and structures of the drink-through cup lid, please referring to an embodiment in the following with reference to FIGS. 2-6B. A one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section 40 is designed for covering on a beverage cup 50. In the first embodiment, the one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section 40 mainly includes a cup lid 10, a conic section 20 and a detachable tube section 30 arranged on the conic section.

The cup lid 10 has a peripheral surface 11, a peripheral edge 12 extending from an outer edge of the peripheral surface 11, a circular depression 13 and a wavelike surface 14. Such structure can be commonly seen in conventional cup lids; however, the features of the present invention is that the conic section 20 is formed and protruding axially at a center of the peripheral surface 11 and has a bottom periphery 21 connecting to the peripheral surface 11 so as to form a first through hole 22 inside the conic section 20, and that a rim 23 is formed by having the conic section 20 extending outwardly from the bottom periphery 21. Also, the conic section forms a concave arc contours symmetric in front, back left and right. In this embodiment, the axial direction is shown in X-X line in the drawings.

The tube section 30 is extending axially from an inner periphery of the rim 23 and has a closed surface 31 at a top of the tube section 30 and a tear line 32 surrounding a bottom edge of the tube section 30 for detachment. In this embodiment, the tear line 32 is a broken line; but a V-shaped structure is also applicable as long as the tube section 30 can be easily torn and removed.

Thereby the tube section 30 and the conic section 20 are formed in one-piece to form a closed structure of the drink-through cup lid 40 and when the tube section 30 is torn along the tear line 32 and detached from the tube section 30, a second through hole 24 is formed at the top of the tube section 30; the second through hole 24 is further connecting through the first through hole 22 to form a conic straw section on the cup lid 10 for drinking through.

Further referring to FIGS. 3-5C, the conic section 30 is shaped in a curve C gradually extending wider from the rim 23 to the peripheral surface 11 of the cup lid 10 to ensure better endurance of the drink-through cup lid 40, but the present invention is not limited to such application. In this embodiment, a diameter D of the cup lid 10 is 100 mm; if the diameter D of the cup lid 10 is 100 mm, a diameter D1 of the bottom periphery 21 of the conic section 20 is preferred to be 25-50 mm and a diameter D2 of the rim 23 is 15-25 mm. And a height H1 from the bottom periphery 21 to the rim 23 can be arranged at 25-40 mm.

In addition, a diameter D3 of the tube section 30 is 8-16 mm and a height 112 from the rim 23 to the closed surface 31 of the tube section 30 is preferred to be 10-20 mm, but the present invention is not limited to such application. Therefore, we can learn that the diameter D1 of bottom periphery D of the conic section 20 is 25-50% long of the diameter D of the cup lid 10; the diameter D2 of the rim 23 of the conic section 20 is 15-25% long of the diameter D of the cup lid D; the height H1 from the bottom periphery 21 to the rim 23 is 25-40% long of the diameter D of the cup lid 10; the diameter D3 of the tube section 30 is 8-16% long of the diameter D of the cup lid 10; and the height 112 from the rim 23 to the closed surface 31 of the tube section 30 is 10-20% long of the diameter D of the cup lid 10. With such arrangement, the proportion of the sizes between the conic section 20 and the tube section 30 makes the present invention an endurable and convenient drink-through cup lid 40 for the consumers. Therefore, the size ratio of the conic section 20 and the tube section is optimized, so that the structural strength of the beverage cup cover is good, which meets the needs of ergonomics and human factor interface, and it is very convenient and user-friendly for consumers to drink beverage; Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, the differences between the present invention and the convention art is that the bottom diameter (D3) of the second through hole is greater than 8 mm, and the diameter (D4) of the tear line is greater than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section by 1 mm˜3 mm. With the feature disclosed above, referring to FIG. 10, the cap lid of the present invention is suitable for drinks with toppings 51, however, the cap (1) of the prior art showing in FIG. 1B, since the nozzle (3) of the cap (1) is narrow type and the diameter of the outlet (4) is smaller than 5 mm, the toppings 51 are not able to go through the opening. However, if only the shape of cap (1) shown in FIG. 1B is enlarged to increase the diameter of outlet (4), the overall proportion of the design is involved, and it cannot meet the desired purpose. The proportion of the diameter (D1) of conic section 20, the diameter (D2) of the rim 23, and the diameter (D3) of the bottom of the second through hole are in predetermined scope, the size ratio of the conic section and the tube section is optimized, so that the structural strength of the beverage cup cover is good, which meets the needs of ergonomics and human factor interface, and it is very convenient and user-friendly for consumers to drink beverage. Moreover, the diameter (D4) of the tear line 32 is larger than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section 30 by 1 mm to 3 mm, and the position of this diameter (D4) is matched with the height (H2) of the tube section 30, the user pushes the tube section 30 away with the fingers at the optimal ratio and the point of force application, and the tube section 30 can be separated from the position of the tear line 32 easily. In addition, the diameter (D4) of the tear line 32 is larger than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section 30 by 1 mm to 3 mm, which is mainly to prevent the tear line 32 from overlapping or leaning against the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section 30. Too close, the circular tear line 32 cannot be formed completely, so that not only the tube section 30 cannot be smoothly pushed with the fingers, but also the peripheral edge of the circular tear line 32 after pushing open is easy to form burrs. When the user is sucking the toppings 51, it hurts the lips easily. This is the best ratio design obtained by the inventor after continuous testing and improvement.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tube section 30 is arranged in a conic shape with an angle α; together with the curve shape C of conic section 20 gradually extending wider from the rim 23 to the peripheral surface 11 of the cup lid 10, the present invention therefore is stackable and requires less space for stocking as shown in FIG. 6. Also, the tube section 30 is multiple stepped cones 311 as shown in FIG. 5B, the multiple stepped cones 311 design can strengthen the structure of the tube section 30 and can provide more frictional force to fingers for tearing the tube section 30.

In this embodiment, the conic section 20 and the detachable tube section 30 can be made in one-piece by automatic machines, but the automatic machines are not part of this present invention.

FIG. 7 is a practical application view of the present invention showing the drink-through cup lid 40 covering on the beverage cup 50. The drink-through cup lid 40 is in a fully closed status so the beverage or whatever inside the beverage cup 50 would not leak at all. Therefore the present invention is able to improve the leakage problem due to a crossed opening 621 on a conventional cup lid 62.

FIG. 8 is another practical application view of the present invention showing the tube section 30 being removed. With the tear line 32 arranged along the bottom edge of the tube section 30, the consumers can simply push a side of the tube section 30 and the tube section 30 would be detached along the tear line 32 and then removed completely, exposing the second through hole 24 that connects to the first through hole 22 and ready for drinking.

FIG. 9 is another practical application view of the present invention showing the conic straw section formed on the top of the drink-through cup lid 40 after the tube section 30 is detached and removed. With the conic straw section, a consumer is able to drink or suck in the coffee, beverage, bubble tea or fruit pieces inside the beverage cup 50 by the second through hole 24. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention in use. It is clear from the above description that when the tube section 30 is broken and removed from the tear line 32, the top surface 11 of the conic section 20 is formed a second through hole 24, and the second through hole 24 is in a communication state with the first through hole 22, so that the conic section 20 becomes a cone straw structure that can directly suck beverages through the cup lid 40. Since the diameter (D4) of the tear line 32 is larger than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section 30 by 1 mm to 3 mm, that is, about 8 mm to 11 mm, the toppings 51 will not be blocked and can be drunk smoothly.

FIGS. 11˜19 are the second embodiment of the present invention. The same structure as the first embodiment is represented by the same drawing number. The difference is that: the front side of the top surface of the cup lid 10 is integrally formed with a conic section 20 is formed and protruding axially, the left and right sides of conic section 20 present a symmetrical concave arc curve C from top to bottom, first outward and then inward, as shown in FIG. 13; the front and back sides of the conic section 20 present a cone-shaped body that is asymmetric from top to bottom, as shown in FIG. 15; but it does not affect the shape of the conic section 20 as a whole. In addition, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the tube section 30 is also a cone-shaped body with a plurality of steps 311. FIG. 15 shows that although the conic section 20 of the second embodiment of the present invention is arranged on the front side of the top surface of the cup lid 10, it can still be stacked sequentially upwards. Therefore, the above two embodiments of the present invention all have the same structural features, especially the beverage cup lid 40 with the toppings 51 in the beverage cup 50.

In conclusion, the present invention has features described as following.

1. The drink-through cup lid 40 is formed in one-piece to ingeniously integrate a single-use cup lid 10 with the conic straw structure, so as to overcome the inconveniences of carrying long straws and the recycling procedure.

2. The conic straw structure has stronger structure than conventional cup lids and is stackable for saving space for stocking.

3. The structure of the drink-through cup lid 40 is fully sealed and closed before drinking, preventing from leakage of the contents inside the beverage cup it is placed on.

4. The size arrangement of the drink-through cup lid 40, the conic section 20 and the tube section 30 are designed to achieve a better proportion for a stronger structure and convenient use for the consumers.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section used for covering on beverage cups, said drink-through cup lid comprising: a cup lid having defining a peripheral surface and a peripheral edge extending from an outer edge of said peripheral surface, wherein a conic section being formed and protruding to protrude axially at a center of the peripheral surface of said cup lid, said conic section defining and has a bottom periphery connecting to the peripheral surface of said cup lid so as to form a first through hole inside the conic section, and a rim formed by the conic section extending outwardly from the bottom periphery, said conic section flaring radially outward from the rim to the peripheral surface of the cup lid; and a detachable tube section defining a conic shape, said tube section extending axially from an inner periphery of said rim, and having a closed surface at a top of said tube section and a tear line surrounding a bottom edge of said tube section for detachment; wherein a diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50% long the length of a diameter of the cup lid; a diameter of the rim of the conic section is 15-25% long the length of the diameter of the cup lid; a height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40% long the length of the diameter of the cup lid; a diameter of the tube section is 8-16% long the length of the diameter of the cup lid; and a height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20% long the length of the diameter of the cup lid, wherein the bottom diameter (D3) of the second through hole is greater than 8 mm, and the diameter (D4) of the tear line is greater than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section by 1 mm˜3 mm, and wherein the tube section and the conic section are formed in one-piece to form a closed structure of the drink-through cup lid, and when the tube section is detachable torn along the tear line and detached from the tube section, a second through hole being thereby formed at the inner periphery of the tube conic section, said second through hole connecting through the first through hole to form a conic straw section on the cup lid for drinking through.
 2. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube section is multiple stepped cones.
 3. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conic section forms concave arc contours symmetric in front, back left and right.
 4. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tear line is a broken line.
 5. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the cup lid is 100 mm; the diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50 mm; the diameter of the rim is 15-25 mm; the height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40 mm; the diameter of the tube section is 8-16 mm; and the height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20 mm.
 6. A one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section used for covering on beverage cups, said drink-through cup lid comprising: a cup lid having a peripheral surface and a peripheral edge extending from an outer edge of said peripheral surface, a conic section being formed to protrude axially at a center of the peripheral surface of said cup lid, said conic section defining a bottom periphery connecting to the peripheral surface of said cup lid to form a first through hole inside the conic section, and a rim formed by the conic section extending outwardly from the bottom periphery, said conic section flaring radially outward from the rim to the peripheral surface of the cup lid, the shape of the conic section from the rim to the peripheral surface is a downward concave curve; and a detachable tube section defining a conic shape, said tube section extending axially from an inner periphery of said rim, the tube section is a cone with a narrow top and a wide bottom, and having a closed surface at a top of said tube section and a tear line surrounding a bottom edge of said tube section for detachment, the tear line being a broken line; wherein the diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50% the length of a diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the rim of the conic section is 15-25% the length of the diameter of the cup lid; a height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, a diameter of the tube section is 8-16% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, and a height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20% the length of the diameter of the cup lid, wherein the bottom diameter (D3) of the second through hole is greater than 8 mm, and the diameter (D4) of the tear line is greater than the bottom diameter (D3) of the tube section by 1 mm˜3 mm, and wherein the tube section and the conic section are formed in one-piece to form a closed structure of the drink-through cup lid, and the tube section is detachable along the tear line from the tube section, a second through hole being thereby formed at the inner periphery of the conic section, said second through hole connecting through the first through hole to form a conic straw section on the cup lid for drinking through.
 7. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tube section is multiple stepped cones.
 8. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the left and right sides of the conic section present a symmetrical concave arc curve from top to bottom, first outward and then inward.
 9. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tear line is a broken line.
 10. The one-piece drink-through cup lid with a straw section as claimed in claim 6, wherein the diameter of the cup lid is 100 mm; the diameter of the bottom periphery of the conic section is 25-50 mm; the diameter of the rim is 15-25 mm; the height from the bottom periphery to the rim is 25-40 mm; the diameter of the tube section is 8-16 mm; and the height from the rim to the closed surface of the tube section is 10-20 mm. 